The present invention relates to fuel cell technology. In particular, the invention relates to fuel cell systems included in a compact and portable package suitable for powering portable electronic devices.
A fuel cell electrochemically combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electrical energy. Fuel cell development so far has concentrated on large-scale applications such as industrial size generators for electrical power back up. Consumer electronics devices and other portable electrical power applications currently rely on lithium ion and similar battery technologies. Fuel cell systems that generate electrical energy for portable applications such as electronics would be desirable, but are not yet commercially available. In addition, technology advances that reduce fuel cell system size would be beneficial.